Vaginal speculum



March 13, 1951 T. c. GlLBE RT VAGINAL SPECULA Filed Sept. 25, 1949 INVENTOR TAYLOR C. GILBERT ATTORNEY opening vertical channel t0.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 U NITED STATES EN T OFF-[C E VAGINAL SPECUBUM Taylor 0. Gilbert, 'Dallas,Tex.'

@Appli'cationSeptember 23, 1949, Serial No. 117,342

This invention relates in...general to surgical instruments and more ;particularly .to certain new .and useful improvementsrin vaginal specula.

'The :primary :object .of the present invention is toprovidea. vaginal speculum which is designed and constructed for engagement with theanat- \omy of the. patientfor self-retention in desired position.

'Itis a further object ofthe present invention to provide a vaginalspeculum which is adapted to prevent the imposition of painful pressure upon the urethral passage when the speculum is in operative position.

Itis an; a'dditional object of thepresent invention to provide a vaginal speculum which is :reliable in use and economical in construction.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention residesinthenovel features of. form, -.construetion, arrangement,- and combination :of parts presently described and pointed outin the claims.

.Inthe accompanying drawing (one sheet) Figure 1 is a:top:plan :view'of a vaginal speculum constructedv in accordancewith and embodying the present invention;

vFigure 32 isa side view; and

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken along lines 3-3 and -4- l'of Figure .2 re spectively.

vReferring nowby reference characters to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention,.A designates a speculum, fabricated preferably of stainless steel, comprising lower and upper dilator blades -l, 2, sized for entering the vaginal passage. The lower blade I is of general arcuatecontour-in crosssection (see Figure 4):, having a dished inner 'face. Adjacent its rearward'end the blade 'I is shaped :toprovide a neck-portion 3 andis enlarged forwardlythereof forming ,a rounded shoulder A and tapering upwardly toward its forward end. The inner face of 'the blade I curves downwardly at the rearward end thereof, .as at: 5.,and the adjacent wall :portions 6; 6' :fiaresslightlyylaterally and eX- 'tendrearwardlyin the'provision of .a: relatively wide mouth 1. Integral with the walls .6, i6 .and protruding fromxtheir endmarg-ins :are projections 8., .8 respectively. Continuous with .thein- .ner :fiace of the blade .I is :adownwardly extending channel-.shaped'handle: 9 whichsisof. arcuate cross-sectional shape. to--pro.vide.1a;.v rearwardly The handle 9' is bent forwardly at its lower endto provide. a :stop member H ;for normal abutment against the :side

of the user?s little finger to prevent .any'untoward slipping during usage.

Suitably mounted in the handled approximately midway the length thereof, is a rear- Wardly extending adjustment screw i2 :its head 13 being substantially flush with the iorward 6"Claims. (Cl. 128- 17) .iacc of .the handle. 9. The screw 12 projects thronghl-alongitudinalaperture It in the dependingtleg 1.5 of a yoke member .l6,.and has a thumb-nut I12. engaged upon its projected end ,for abuttingagainst the leg [5 to maintainthe yoke 16in any selected vertical position in relation :to the handle ,9. The yoke. 16 is provided with ..a pair of. spaced upwardly extending arms l1, -I|' having lateralfianges 18,1.8' respectively. The forwardly presented iaces of the arms [1, I 1' abutagainst the .end margins of the projections 3,8. whichare prevented from lateral displacement by the flanges i8, 18 (seeFigure 1). At their upper. ends reach of the arms IT, .I 1' .is'provided with. inwardly and rearwardly bent. cars 18,. l 9 through. which extend 121118.29, 20 respectively forpivotally supporting the upper blade 2 by, projectionthrough suitable apertures adja: cent the rearward end thereof. The vextension rearwardly of vtheears I9, vI9 causes the blade} to:.be. displaced .rearwardly in relation to..the lower blade I,.and thus out of marginal registration therewith (see Figure .2). The blade 2 .is substantially similar to the blade I in having a moutlrportiontzl a neck 22 anda roundedshoulderzs formed .by the enlargement of the forward portion thereof, said shoulder being perforce disposed .rearwardly of the shoulder A of the blade' I due to the rearward displacement of the vbladep2. Provided in the outwardly presented face of the .blade 2 andextendingmedially therealong from the rearward margin We point adj acent1theiorward end thereof is a canal likerecess '24, the bed of. which follows an arcuate path opening up wardly at its forward end into the face of the blade 2;.as.at,25 (see Figures 1,2).

Eormedi integrally with the upper blade .'2 and extending outwardly from .its rearward end mar- .gin, is. adownwardly and. rearwardly inclined .lever arm .Zuhaving. a relatively. widened central portionil'and being. enlarged at. its lower end and. suitably formedito provide a spooned rearwardly presented thumb-press section 28. Provided in the central portion 2.! is .an aperture 29 through ,whichextends .an adjustment screw 3!] having .a flattened, ovate forward end 3! which in turn is provided with. an. elongated. aperture 2. Projecting floatingly through the. aperture .32 in the screws! the stem of a pin 33 rigidly. mounted at .itsinnerend in the arm ll .andlhavingan enlarged outer end 3.4 .iorrmaintainin wthe pin 33 insuch relation .to. the aperture 32. Threadedly engaged uponthe adjustment screw son a nut 35 for abutment against the lever 26 to limit the movement thereof .rearwardly, theforward move- .ment of saidarmamfi being inturn limited by abutmentagainst therearwardface of the arm ll. .At its rearward end, the screw'l3l! is provided with .a diametrally increased,.smooth-.sur- .faced headiti to prevent disengagement of the nut 35. Thus, it will be seen that when the nut 35 is in its rearward-most position, in surface contact with the head 36, it will be entirely out of contact with the lever arm 26 which may thus be swung freely to pivot the blade 2 upwardly about the pins 20, 20', with the upper limit of such movement being determined by abutment of the lever arm 26 against the rearward face of the arm l1. Adjustment of the nut 35, by limiting the arc of movement of the lever arm 26, maintains the desired spacing between the blades I, 2. I

In usage, the blades I, 2 in their normal marginal abutting relationship are inserted into the vaginal passage, the lower blade I being disposed against the posterior wall portion thereof with the shoulder l seated upon the muscular tissue, being that of the sphincter vaginae (bulbo cavernosus), adjacent the external orifice of the vagina. Thereon the passage is dilated by operation of the lever arm 26 which pivotally moves the upper blade 2 against the anterior wall portion of the passage for removing same from normal contact with the posterior wall portion. This expanding movement of the upper blade 2 will be limited by abutment of the neck 22 against the so-called pubic arch of the pelvic bone, upon the upper portion of which the shoulder 23 will become frictionally engaged. Thus, it is to be particularly noted that both of the blades l, 2, when in passage-dilating position, are engaged upon anatomically provided surfaces, namely the pubic arch and the vaginal orifice musculature, and thereby being prevented from unauthorized dislodgement during usage. The adjustment nut 35 is threaded forwardly. into tight abutment against the lever arm 26, and thus, in conjunction with the engagement of the shoulders 4, 23 within the vagina as above described, serves to make the speculum entirely self-retaining, being secure and steady in operative disposition. With this positive engagement of the speculum A, the surgeon may carry out the indicated technique without fear of the speculum slipping out of position at a precarious moment.

In the course of the pivotal movement of the blade 2, the canal-like recess 24 will provide a protective receptacle, as it were, for the urethral passage shielding it from direct forceful contact with the outer face of the blade 2, whereby the imposition of painful pressure thereon, customarily encountered in the use of conventional specula, is prevented.

As stated above, the yoke is may be adjusted in relation to the handle 9 by loosening of the thumb-nut l2 and moving the yoke l6 upwardly or downwardly about the screw l2 to the desired position, the length of the aperture 84 determining the range of adjustment. Thereby the initial spatial relationship between the blades l, 2 may be regulated so that the requisite expansion of the vaginal passage may be effected.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the vaginal speculum may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I clairn and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vaginal speculum having first and second dilator blades, the improvement comprising said second blade being provided with an outwardly opening canal-like recess extending 4 substantially the length of said blade for encasingly protecting the urethral passage during operation of the speculum.

2. In a vaginal speculum having first and second dilator blades, the improvement comprising said second blade being provided with an outwardly opening canal-like recess extending from the rearward end of said blade to a point adjacent the forward end thereof, the path of said recess being downwardly and thence upwardly for merging at its forward end into the upper surface of the blade whereby said recess is adapted to coveringly shield the urethral passage during operation of the speculum for preventing the incidence of normally pain-causing pressures thereon.

3. In a vaginal speculum having first and second dilator blades, the improvement comprising said second blade being provided in its outer surface with a medially disposed, relatively narrow, smooth surfaced, outwardly opening canallike recess, said recess extending from the rearward end of said blade to a point adjacent the forward end thereof, the path of said recess being downwardly from the rearward end and thence upwardly in arcuate character with the forward end of said recess merging into the upper surface of the blade whereby said recess is adapted for encasing the urethral passage during operation of the speculum to protect same against pain-causing pressures normally effected by extension of the speculum blades.

l. A vaginal specuhun adapted for self-retention when in operative position comprising a first dilator blade, a second dilator blade, means for pivoting said blades with relation to each other for dilating the walls of the vaginal passage, said second dilator blade having a relatively constricted section and a forwardly adjacent enlarged portion causing the formation of a shoulder, said enlarged portion inclining downwardly and forwardly from the shoulder, said second blade being further provided with an outwardly opening canal-like recess extending along its medial line through the constricted section and into the enlarged portion thereby breaking through the shoulder with the forward end thereof merging into the upper surface of the blade, said first dilator blade being provided with an unbroken shoulder whereby upon movement of the blades into operative dilating position the shoulder of the second blade will be retentively engaged upon the pubic arch of the pelvic bone and the shoulder of the first blade securely disposed against the musculature of the posterior portionof the vaginal passage so that the blades will be maintained in operative position wherein the canal-like recess of the second blade will encasingly protect the urethral passage against pain-causing pressures normally effected by the extension of the speculum.

5. A vaginal speculum adapted for self-retention when in operative position comprising a. first dilator blade, a seconddilator blade, means for pivoting said blades with relation to each other for dilating the walls of the vaginal passage, said second dilator blade having a relatively constricted section'and a forwardly adjacent enlarged portion causing the formation of a shoulder, said enlarged portion inclining downwardly and forwardly from the shoulder, said second blade being further provided with an outwardly opening canal-like recess extending along its medial line through the constricted section and into the enlarged portion thereby breaking through the shoulder with the forward end thereof merging into the upper surface of the blade, said first dilator blade being similarly provided with a constricted neck-like section and forwardly adjacent enlarged portion creating a shoulder, said shoulder on said first dilator blade being unbroken and being disposed forwardly of the shoulder on said second dilator blade whereby said shoulders are offset with relation to each other so that upon movement of the blades into operative dilating position the shoulder of the second blade will be retentively engaged upon the pubic arch of the pelvic bone and the shoulder of the first blade will be securely disposed against the musculature of the posterior portion of the vaginal passage for permitting said speculum to be self-maintained in extended position with the offset relation of the shoulders assuring positive engagement with their related anatomical parts; said canal-like recess encasingly protecting the urethral passage when said speculum is in operative position against any pain-causing pressures normally created by the operation of the speculum.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 430,350 McCully June 17, 1890 1,614,065 Guttmann Jan. 11, 1927 2,320,709 Arnesen June 1, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Catalog No. 8 of V. Mueller & Co. of Chicago, 1930, p. 166.

Catalog for 1936 of M. Kettner of Berlin, Germany, p. 10.

Copies of the above are on file in Div. 55. 

